


in conjunction

by falsegljtter



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Good Friends, M/M, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 20:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11493876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falsegljtter/pseuds/falsegljtter
Summary: Akaashi and Bokuto had been dating for months and were doing amazingly. Until one day, something shifts in Bokuto and he starts distancing himself from Akaashi. No one is quite sure what is going on, not even Akaashi, but things aren't looking so good.Can the two figure it out before it's too late?





	in conjunction

**Author's Note:**

> i try angst once again, and am not sure if im doing this right but oh well

“Work hard today.” Keiji’s father clapped him on the shoulder before sending Keiji out the door. His mother was already at work, having ridiculous hours that began at three in the morning and ended at noon. 

“I will.” Keiji dipped his head down in acknowledgement on his way out of the door. The day that his father told him to have a nice day would be one that happened only in his dreams. They cared about each other but they were not the best at sharing emotions. Unlike some people, Akaashi mused as he knocked once on the door next to his apartment. In seconds, the door flung open to reveal a beaming Bokuto.

“Keiji!” he greeted warmly, golden eyes alit with love and adoration. Akaashi could feel himself flush but still reached out to grab his boyfriend’s hand anyway. Bokuto called out one last goodbye to his mom before the two set off down the stairs. Like usual, Bokuto tried to make it into a race and Akaashi decided to indulge him this time as they sprint down the steps. A sharp look is thrown at them from a passing resident in the lobby but Akaashi could not find it in himself to care as he sees Bokuto’s smile.

“I was thinking of some new warm ups we could do that would help the team.” Bokuto explained all his new ideas, albeit with some difficulty in demonstrating since Akaashi was not letting go of his left hand anytime soon. He listened closely, soaking in the sound of Bokuto’s voice and the sunshine which intermingled to give him an overall feeling of content. “How does that sound?”

“There are some good ideas in there. Especially with more stretching, there’s been some problems with that. Good job, Kou.” Akaashi leaned in to his side and gave Bokuto’s hand a small squeeze.

“Can’t you call me by my full first name?” Bokuto whined, but Akaashi was well versed enough in his language to know there was a teasing in Bokuto’s tone.

“Alright, Koutarou.” He was pleased when Bokuto’s face turned beet red.

“Ah it just sounds so nice from your voice!” Bokuto defended but Akaashi simply laughed. He pulled them both through the school gate and sent off Bokuto toward his own classroom. 

“I’ll see you at lunch, Kou.” Akaashi reluctantly removed his hand from Bokuto’s and headed to his own class. The lecture that greeted him was boring, yet tolerable, and he was thankful that he had already completed all his work because his teacher’s droning took the whole class period. The rest of the day passed in a blur until practice. He entered the gym, twenty minutes early as usual, and made sure everything was in order. Usually, Bokuto would join him ten minutes in, but there was no sight of him until practice begun and he had snuck in with the rest of the team. Despite the oddity of it, Akaashi did not think to question it. Sometimes Bokuto got caught up talking to teachers or catching up with friends, it wasn’t like it was the end of the world.

What did bother Akaashi though, was how little Bokuto had bene acknowledging him during practice. Never once did he call out for a toss when Akaashi was his setter and he seemed more subdued than he had been at lunch. Something must have happened in his classroom but Akaashi wasn’t sure what the issue could be. That was a lie, from the way Bokuto was only avoiding him like the plague Akaashi could guess it had something to do with him. The rest of the team was just as put off as Akaashi. There was no problem so they couldn’t fix anything but the blatant refusal of Bokuto to work with Akaashi was… disconcerting to say the least.

“Komi, want to pair up for individual practice?” Bokuto had swiveled his head to turn to the shorter teen, avoiding eye contact with Akaashi. The gym went silent as they looked between Akaashi and Bokuto. It was an unspoken rule that during pair practice Bokuto would always choose Akaashi. At this point in the year, no one even bothered to ask the two. 

“Are you sure?” Komi started but was cut off by Akaashi’s icy voice.

“Konoha. Let’s practice.” Akaashi swallowed down the lump in his throat and headed as far away from Bokuto as he could. Konoha shared a panicked look with Komi before the two were both dragged away by their designated partners. Everyone was subdued as Akaashi set ball after ball with deadly precision. Bokuto was so far away that the two could barely make out his cheers or whines. Barely. At the end of practice, Konoha was ready to leave with his stinging hand but was halted by Akaashi.

“Want to walk home with me?” his eyes were sharp and cold, fully detached as he shouldered his school bag without a single look back at Bokuto. Even if the two weren’t staying after to have extra practice, ever since Akaashi had joined the volleyball team Bokuto would be walking him home. It was a part of their routine, from when they were acquaintances and especially once they became boyfriends. Konoha saw Bokuto set his jaw but nothing else happened so he hesitantly accepted the request. At the least he could use the time to find out what was happening between the golden couple.

“Alright.” Konoha grabbed his own bag before the two set off, with the gym doors slamming behind them. For the first few moments it was tense, Akaashi never letting go of his harsh exterior until they crossed the school gates and he realized Bokuto hadn’t left yet. Then he drooped like a popped balloon and shot an apologetic smile at Konoha.

“I am sorry to have put you through that Konoha-san. If I were in your position I would have felt uncomfortable.” Akaashi sighed, deeply troubled as he walked home with Konoha. They were good friends and even when Konoha was being snarkier than most would like, Akaashi still enjoyed his company. But there was something missing from Akaashi’s walk, he realized as the two ambled forward. It was something golden, something warm, something like Bokuto. Despite Bokuto’s random frigid behavior, he missed him.

“Don’t worry about it Akaashi. What’s up with Bokuto? He was acting oddly at practice,” Konoha commented. Akaashi wrinkled his nose at the question, upset with being reminded of the events that had transpired that afternoon.

“I wish I knew.” A shrew smile appeared on Akaashi’s face and Konoha decided to drop the questioning there. It was obvious that Akaashi was just as lost as everyone else. Only Bokuto knew what was in his head this time. After that, Konoha talked about anything else he could think of: his sister’s newest tattoo, the upcoming weather forecast, and the copious amounts of homework he had been assigned. It was obvious that Akaashi wasn’t fully paying attention, his mind still far away on the issue of today’s practice, but at least the setter hummed in agreement or nodded when necessary. 

“See you again tomorrow.” Konoha waved to Akaashi before continuing toward his own house. Without the same vigor he had that morning, Akaashi scurried up the steps. He sighed loudly as he walked into his apartment, shutting the door with more force than necessary.

“Keiji, be more mindful.” His mother admonished but Akaashi didn’t respond. He barreled down the hallway until he was safely tucked away into his room. Instead of doing work or studying, Akaashi stared up at the ceiling. The anger from earlier had left his system and all that was left was sadness. What had happened that made Bokuto suddenly ice him out? Not being one to wait for fate, Akaashi pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Bokuto.

_ >From Akaashi  
What happened today? Are you alright? _

His stomach felt like it had been twisted around as he waited for a response. Bokuto had seen the message, the check mark next to ‘Read’ mocking Akaashi as he watched the three dots blink. For two more minutes, he sat: watching, waiting, hoping that Bokuto would explain what had bene going on. Only for the hope to be taken from him as quickly as it had come when the dots vanished. Clenching the phone tightly in his hand, Akaashi huffed once more before tossing it onto his bed. He ripped open his backpack and opened a notebook with a sharp snap. Akaashi worked his way through three assignments, with spite and irritation fueling him. Once all his work was completed his mind was free to wander again and left him feeling weighed down.

Bokuto’s behavior that day was far from anything he had ever displayed before, unique in a terrible way. There had been no true attempt at communication between the two and Akaashi wondered if this sudden ghosting would be the way his first love ended. It would be fitting, he mused bitterly, to have someone who entered his life so abruptly be pulled out the same way. In the kitchen, he heard his mother’s call for diner but he found it much easier to lie face down on his bed than try to assemble himself into a functional human being. 

“Keiji, it’s dinnertime.” His mother entered the room as poised and self-assured as always before she froze at the sight of him. A faint sniffle escaped from where Akaashi’s face was buried in his pillow with the hot tears of rejection stinging at his eyes. Akaashi wasn’t concerned at her departure, assuming she had decided to leave him be, but was surprised when she came back. She placed a plate on his desk along with a glass of water and tissue box. Her hand reached out towards Akaashi, wondering how best she could show she cared, before she cleared her throat.

“Just this once you can have dinner in your room. Clean your dishes later and stay hydrated.” With such a faint touch that Akaashi almost missed it, his mother rubbed his shoulder once. The door clicked back into place behind her and Akaashi felt more tears well up in his eyes. It was pathetic, what reason did he have to cry? His boyfriend ignored him one afternoon, so what? It wasn’t like they had broken up or anything severe had happened. Rubbing harshly at his eyes, Akaashi ambled over to the desk and ate every bite of dinner. It tasted like normal but Akaashi didn’t enjoy it the same as he normally would. Trust that heartbreak would dull the experience of food for him. 

Akaashi scrolled through his phone notifications, hoping maybe there would be a response from Bokuto by then but was left with nothing. The disappointment rushed through his veins once more before he cleared away his dishes and turned off the light. Sleep came surprisingly easily, Akaashi merely assumed it was due to the exhaustion he felt after such an odd day. Nevertheless, it was seconds before he passed out, barely remembering to charge his phone.

\--

After a night’s rest and once Akaashi’s mind had been (mostly) cleared, he decided to try to return to normal with Bokuto. It was a possibility that the previous day had just been an off day and Akaashi may be upset at the sudden isolation but it wasn’t something he’d like to prolong. If all it took was knocking on Bokuto’s door as usual to mend things between the two then he would gladly do so. At least that’s what he said before being stuck looking at a closed door. He had knocked already, twice even though it would usually only take one knock, and no response had greeted him. Just as he raised his fist to knock once more, the door swung open. The kind face of Bokuto’s mom greeted him with a smile.

“Hello Keiji! Are you here for Koutarou?” her eyes were sympathetic and should have been Akaashi’s first clue that something was off. “He left a few minutes ago, you just missed him. Sorry about that confusion.”

“Of course. It must have slipped my mind but thank you.” Akaashi wrung his hands the whole way to school, the walk was longer without Bokuto to pass time. Still, he had walked alone before and he would walk alone later in his life so it wasn’t the end of the world. Instead it was another minor difference that reminded Akaashi of the bigger conundrum he was up against. Class work itself was easy which gave him more time to think, a blessing and curse. Nothing else of interest happened before lunch, nothing to take his mind off Bokuto, and this was a fact Akaashi bemoaned as he sat down for lunch. Yukie fixed him with a concerned look at the deep sigh he released after taking his spot.

“You good?” She asked, covering her mouth with her hand to hide the copious amounts of food she had just shoved into it. 

“I’m fine,” Akaashi answered shortly. Out of all the upperclassmen he knew, Yukie was one of the ones that he could always rely on deeply. She didn’t mince her words or get caught up in frivolous schemes like some of his friends did. Not to mention how Yukie always managed to have time for everyone and still get solitude. He was truly impressed by her, and was honored to be one of her friends. Even with all the trust and respect Akaashi had for Yukie, he did not want to hash out was had been happening with Bokuto. Especially when said boy was only a foot away from him.

“Well the third-year banquet is tomorrow. Would you mind accompanying me? I have a plus one and it would be a shame to waste it,” Yukie asked. The team looked apprehensively from Yukie to Bokuto, wondering if something would happen between the two. It was no secret that Bokuto and Akaashi were supposed to be going together but Bokuto said nothing, just stared guiltily at his lunch tray. Disappointment flooded Akaashi when he saw there was no conflict before he fixed a small weary smile on Yukie.

“Sure,” Akaashi agreed and, somehow, Bokuto’s head drooped lower. Even Yukie was vaguely disheartened by the lack of disagreement from Bokuto but still shot Akaashi a grin.

“Great. I’ll meet you at your apartment.” The bell rung and everyone left the table with mixed emotions. Akaashi was happy to spend some time with Yukie before her graduation but couldn’t stop the faint protest in his mind that said he should have been going with Bokuto instead.

\--

“That must be Yukie,” Akaashi’s mother hummed as she went to open the door. When Keiji had come home yesterday saying that he had a new date to the banquet she had been confused but quickly pieced together his earlier tears and the swap. She made no mention to talk to Keiji about it, because their relationship wasn’t like that. Of course, she loved her son and he loved her but they were both far too reserved and independent to partake in such discussions. That was part of why she had approved of Koutarou, he was a sweet boy who could always manage to draw Keiji out of his shell. Or at least, she had thought, before the past few days had happened. 

“I’m coming,” Akaashi said as he made his way down the hallway. He was dressed nicely, in a black suit with a green tie that matched his eyes. His mom smiled at the sight before turning to open the door. Yukie was wearing a black dress and grinned at the sight of Keiji.

“Looking good, my favorite underclassmen,” Yukie teased and exchanged pleasantries with Mrs. Akaashi while Keiji put on his shoes. 

“It’s time to go,” Akaashi said and the two turned to look at him. With an apologetic smile, Yukie confirmed his words.

“It was nice to catch up with you,” Yukie said to Mrs. Akaashi.

“You as well. Have fun you two and make good decisions.” Mrs. Akaashi closed the door and the two started the descent towards the lobby. The atmosphere is light, neither bringing up deeper topics as they walk toward Yukie’s car. 

“Can you believe Konoha? Asking Kaori to come with him to the banquet. The gall of that kid!” Yukie griped but Akaashi’s attention was caught by another figure. He went rigid when he saw Bokuto walking across the parking lot to his own, rarely used, truck and stifled a gasp. Bokuto looked just as handsome as Akaashi had knew he would when they went shopping for suits together (“because it is a valuable investment and something you will need for job interviews,” Akaashi had said). The golden tie, that wasn’t tied properly, hung loosely around his neck and Akaashi had the impulse to run across the parking lot to go fix it. Of course, the Akaashis weren’t creatures of impulse so he instead swallowed thickly and ducked into Yukie’s car. 

“Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost,” Yukie commented and realized what put Akaashi in such a weird mood when she checked around the lot. She decided to pretend that nothing was wrong as she backed the car up and headed towards the banquet hall. The ride was short and they managed to get a decent parking spot before heading inside the vast building. After checking in, they stepped through the ballroom doors and found their friends waving ostentatiously at them from a circular table in the middle of the room. If only to stop their loud shouts, the two hurried over and took their spots at the table. 

“You two look nice,” Kaori complimented from her spot across the table. A quick look at the seating arrangement showed Akaashi that everyone was there except one… and there was only an empty seat next to him. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that Bokuto would be sitting next to Akaashi. In theory, the idea sounded fine. They were still teammates and (maybe) friends so there was no reason he should be apprehensive about the idea. In practice however, Akaashi realized it may be more difficult than he had originally believed when Bokuto plopped down next to him five minutes later. They shared a nod before promptly swiveling in their chairs so far that they were practically back to back.

“Uh, so, this is nice,” Komi stated but his tone made it sound more like a question. It was very obviously a ploy to relive some tension and it obviously did not work. Thankfully something else distracting did appear: the food. The table is filled with the sound of scraping forks on plates and clinking ice in tall glasses. No one made a move to breaking the heavy silence and after finishing his meal, Akaashi excused himself for a breath of fresh air. The mood of the group was subdued and if he were the problem then he could just leave. Better him than Bokuto, who was one of the reasons for the banquet, he thought bitterly as he headed into the parking lot. Silver light casted shadows on his face from the moon and the atmosphere was tranquil. Just him, the night sky, and a hand gripping his arm. Wait. 

Akaashi spun around, fist clenched and ready to swing, only to be greeted by the sight of Bokuto.

“Sorry! Should have said my name or something,” Bokuto apologized, dropping Akaashi’s arm like it was on fire. Akaashi crossed his arms as he looked at the fidgeting teen in front of him. He didn’t speak for the first minute, wondering if Bokuto was just trying to gather the courage to say something. When he didn’t stop fidgeting, Akaashi sighed.

“Well? Any reason you’re here?” he prodded. At that moment, he wished he could be back in his apartment, staring at his ceiling or sleeping or anything else except standing in front of his best friend and (maybe) boyfriend with his painful squeezed heart.

“I, I’ve just, augh!” Bokuto let out a frustrated scream and shook his head once before looking firmly in Akaashi’s eyes. “I wanted to apologize. For the past few days.” 

“Why have you been avoiding me?” Akaashi asked, and turned away from Bokuto. He was not going to let Bokuto see the tears that gathered in his eyes. 

“In class, everyone was talking about breaking it off with their underclassmen partners because they’d be holding them back from having a nice third year while they’re off in college! I didn’t want that to happen to you but I also didn’t want to let go of us. I guess it was just me being selfish.” Bokuto kicked a pebble and refused to meet Akaashi’s gaze.

“That wasn’t a decision for you to make by yourself,” Akaashi reprimanded, aching to reach out and touch Bokuto. He was so close but Akaashi wouldn’t crack just yet. To think, such a massive rift had been made all because of some classmates. Akaashi was tempted to have Bokuto point out everyone who had influenced him and go back inside the banquet hall to deck them all.

“I know! I’m sorry it’s just I got lost because what I wanted was so different from what everyone else was doing,” Bokuto admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. The cryptic remark brought up even more questions and Akaashi looked at him skeptically.

“What did you want to do?” the question hung there and it overtook the whole area. Bokuto spoke no words, but instead dug his hand into his pocket to pull something out. He reached out for Akaashi’s hand and Akaashi hesitantly gave to him. Something light and slightly warmed was pressed into his hand and he looked down in shock. Sitting in the palm of his hand was a silver ring, one that Akaashi recognized as a promise ring. 

“I love you and I just wanted us to feel together even when I’m at college. I was going to give it to you earlier but, well, we saw how the week went.” Bokuto let out a weak laugh but Akaashi was still looking down at his hand. Throwing aside his caution, Akaashi rushed into Bokuto’s arms. The spiker was as confused as he was but still hugged back tightly.

“We still have a lot to talk about,” Akaashi said as they pulled apart. He kissed Bokuto once before shoving the ring on his finger, as if someone would take it any second. “A lot. You aren’t fully forgiven yet.” The words didn’t match his actions as Akaashi kissed Bokuto once again. When they separated this time, Bokuto had a dazed smile on his own face as he slipped his ring on his finger.

“I know. I love you, Keiji,” Bokuto said goofily as they linked hands to head back inside. 

“I love you too, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi hid his smirk. If he had to deal with Bokuto’s silent treatment then Bokuto would have to deal with his full title for a while.

“Bleh, I deserve that.” Bokuto accepted it gratefully as they sat back down at the table. And if everyone else was surprised by the matching rings, well, then they didn’t show it.

**Author's Note:**

> why cant i leave anything on a bad ending? oh wait bc im too big of a softy ekjecankrjc
> 
> but anyway follow me on tumblr if u wanna ;) my username is falsegljtter


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